TMNT SS 2015: A Real Christmas
by kuku88
Summary: (For a Secret Santa event on Tumblr! My SS is faithfulwhispers!) Leo and Karai both haven't experienced a "true" Christmas—Leo because of the fact he's lived in the sewers all his life, and Karai because the Shredder wasn't keen on the holidays. When April hears of this, she decides that the two need to go on a winter date to experience the magic of Christmas! Rated K, R&R!


**A Real Christmas:**

 _This is for the TMNT Secret Santa event over on Tumblr! My SS is **faithfulwhispers**. :D_

 _Her prompt was winter date and I could choose Leorai or Apriltello (and me being me I chose Leorai haha). She didn't want angst but uhh since it's 9000 words there's some vague sad stuff sprinkled in but it's still light/mild in tone so hopefully that's okay._

 _I think this might be set a year after the stuff going on right now. Idk - whenever Karai gets her happy ending of joining the Hamato Clan, I guess. x'D_

 _Have a long, fun, cheesy story between Karai and Leo! Please enjoy~_

* * *

 _In. Out._

Leonardo concentrated on his breathing, his eyes closed as he meditated. He could feel the presence of his other brothers and Master Splinter all around him. Donatello in his lab. Raphael and Michelangelo playing video games in the main lair. Splinter in his dojo, probably reminiscing about the past.

Leo breathed in.

 _In._

He breathed out.

 _Out._

It was hard to concentrate, despite his attempts. His mind kept drifting back to something else, completely unrelated to his meditation. Or rather, some _one_. A girl with golden eyes and short black hair, whose eyes for awhile had become like a snake's...

"Hey guys!" a voice called ecstatically.

Startled, Leo opened his eyes and turned his gaze toward the lair entrance. A girl with red hair tied in a ponytail entered with enthusiasm, stomping her boots on the floor. Bits of snow flew off of her and landed on the ground. She was grinning, cheeks flushed red in excitement.

"Hi, April!" Mikey called. Meanwhile, Raph grunted in greeting, focused completely on his game.

"What's up, April?" Donnie immediately appeared outside of his lab, holding a test tube as he pulled his goggles upwards out of his eyes. He smiled lovingly at her—or rather, it was more in a puppy love manner, Leo noted. He smiled. He knew Donnie had the biggest crush on April.

"It's December 24!" Her grin seemed to grow as she turned to the people walking in behind her. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Cold weather, way too much snow, shovels, overpriced presents, and frostbite?" a girl responded behind her, arms folded. She had short black-and-blond hair, and her lips were drawn in a tight, thin line.

"No, it means that there's one more day until _Christmas_! It's _Christmas Eve_ , people!" April said, throwing her hands into the air. "You know; presents, cheer, and good will!"

The black-haired boy standing with them shrugged. "You know, I love Christmas as much as the next guy, but...don't you think you're taking this a little far, Red? I hate to be a party pooper, but Karai has a point."

The girl with the black hair stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh come on, Casey Jones. You like hockey, right? Christmas is full of it! There's something for everybody," April protested.

"Not for me there isn't." Karai's eyes narrowed as she thought back to the past. "The Shredder wasn't big on Christmas."

Some of April's excitement seemed to fizzle out at the mention of the Shredder. Leo decided to jump in.

"Well, if it's of any comfort, we've never really had a large-scale Christmas before. Never a 'real' Christmas like the ones on TV, I guess, so...we're sort of in the same boat?" he offered, finishing awkwardly as he stood up from his cross-legged pose. He and Karai briefly met eyes before both blushed and looked away.

April smiled slyly, coming up with an idea. "Well, now's your chance for a proper Christmas! One of joy, jolliness, and _mistletoe_!"

 _"What?"_ both of them demanded, spinning around to stare at her.

She pointed at the two of them. "I want both of you, to go on a winter date! You two have to do as many Christmas-y things as possible together before the day ends."

"April, that's ridiculous," protested Karai, her cheeks looking a little red.

Leo was unable to form speech.

April grinned. "Alright, the timer starts...now!"

"What? What the heck, April!" Karai suddenly looked flustered, which was unlike her usual calm and cool self. She paced a little bit, before Splinter appeared.

"Miwa," he said softly, his voice carrying over the sound of Raph and Mikey's video game.

Suddenly everything was quiet, as even Raph paused his game and he and Mikey turned to watch the scene before them unfold. There was a stretch of silence for awhile, before Karai managed to speak.

"Father," she said awkwardly, still looking flustered. "April wants Leo and I—we..." She trailed off awkwardly.

April cut in. "Karai has never had a real Christmas, and Leo's never gotten to go to the surface for Christmas. So I just wanted them to go out and celebrate together!"

Master Splinter stroked his beard. "That sounds like a good experience to share." He glanced at Leonardo. "I trust that my daughter will be in good hands with you, after all."

"But—" Karai tried to interject, but April interrupted and started pushing her toward the exit.

"No but's! Just go out to do some Christmas shopping and sightseeing and play in the snow and what have you!" She then turned around and walked across the room to a still stunned Leonardo, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him towards Karai. She winked at him discreetly. "Enjoy your _date_."

Karai and Leo exchanged glances, before turning to stare at April. "You can't be serious," the girl said.

"I am! And until you leave, I'm just going to stand here and stare at you awkwardly until you do."

They continued to stand there, staring at April, for a little while longer, before Karai let out a giant sigh and spun around. "Come on, Leo; let's go," she grumbled, grabbing him by the arm.

He blushed and glanced back. April was waving and calling out very loud goodbyes. The rest of his brothers, Casey, and Master Splinter had gathered around her, all waving or saying goodbye.

He waved back awkwardly.

As the two disappeared around a corner and Master Splinter began walking away, Casey turned to April. He nodded at Splinter's retreating back. "You're not going to say anything to him about it being a date, are you?" he said in a mildly scolding tone that hid a barely contained smirk of amusement.

April grinned. "Nope."

This time, he did smirk. "Nice."

Then they shared a high-five.

Meanwhile, Leo was still being dragged along by Karai. _Everyone seems to be doing that today,_ he thought to himself. Out loud he said, "Karai?"

"Yeah?" she said, not looking back.

"I can... I can walk myself, you know."

Now she did look back; she glanced down at their hands and seemed to blush just slightly, quickly letting go. "Oops, sorry."

He rubbed his hand. "That's okay." _I kind of liked it._

"Can you believe that April?" Karai continued, quickly changing the subject. "What does she expect us to do? You're a _teenage mutant ninja turtle_ , for crying out loud."

He arched a brow. "Is that just what you're calling me now?"

She paused, before smirking. "Yup. It's trademarked."

"I bet it is." He smiled back, glad that he was able to lessen some of the embarrassed tension. "Ridiculous names always seem to be trademarked."

She laughed. It was a sweet but sharp laugh, and it was like music to his ears. He hardly ever heard her laugh, so it was a treat whenever she did.

He sped up a little so that he could walk closer to her. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Where _can_ a _'teenage mutant ninja turtle'_ go?" She said it with a smile.

"How's about we go onto the rooftops of NYC? Enjoy the view and the lights?" He offered her a smile. "Then we can go to Murakami's for dinner."

"Sure." Karai nodded. "That sounds good. It sure beats wandering the sewers aimlessly, that's for sure."

This time, he laughed. "Alright, follow me."

* * *

Soon they were both sitting on the ledge of a rooftop of an apartment building, overlooking the city. Christmas lights lined the rooftops and balconies and trees and walls in general, but they weren't the only source of light. New York City was as busy as ever, with building lights and traffic lights and car lights on everywhere. Stars were starting to come out, and the snow was still following. Below, the city was a hustle of bustling activity.

Karai held out her hand, catching miniature snowflakes as they fell and melted in her palm. "It's really coming down," she remarked.

"Yeah." Leo shivered. "It's really quite beautiful."

She paused, turning to look at him. "Are you cold?" she asked.

"A little bit, yeah," he admitted in embarrassment. He rubbed his arms. "I mean, we're reptiles so our body temperature is supposed to fluctuate with real temperature or whatever—at least, that's what Donnie says, right?—but that doesn't stop me from sort of feeling the cold."

Karai smiled. "Oh, so the great Leonardo is cold, huh? But he's too big to admit it."

"What? No! I just did," he exclaimed, his teeth chattering.

She laughed. "Do you want my coat?"

"No, you need it more than I do. You're warm-blooded, after all."

Karai paused, silent for awhile.

He turned to look at her in concern. "Karai...? I didn't mean that as an insult, you know—"

"I just came up with an idea," she finally said. "Wait here." Then she disappeared from the building.

Leonardo was left stranded on a rooftop, shivering slightly with the moon and the stars. Ten minutes passed and he began feeling lonely and achingly cold when suddenly Karai reappeared.

"Sorry about the wait," she announced, holding something up. "I honestly had no idea what size a—well, y'know—a teenage mutant ninja turtle is supposed to wear, so I just got a random one." She smirked. "XL. Just in case."

He stared at her for a long time, trying to comprehend her words. "...You... What?"

She snorted impatiently, thrusting the item toward him. "Just take it. Try it on."

He was still trying to recover from his disbelief, struggling to come to terms with the idea. "You...went and bought my clothing?"

"Yes, consider it an early Christmas present. Now try it on already!" she exclaimed.

Leonardo felt awkward and exposed as he pulled the clothes out of the bag and began slipping them on. When he was finished, he turned to stare at her. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Karai grinned. "Look, it's perfect! It totally matches your complexion."

"Oh _sure_ ," he grumbled, "this _incredibly gaudy_ sweater I have received happens to 'match my complexion'. That's not insulting at all." He glanced down. He was exaggerating his unhappiness. All in all, it wasn't a bad sweater. It was red, of course, with green trees and blue lakes and blue flecks and 3D elements to it (like fluffy snow). There were large bells attached too, which jingled whenever he moved. Not very ninja-y, but very Christmas-y. He liked it. _Plus, it's a gift from Karai._ He blushed. _Of course I like it._

"Hey, don't you dare complain. Ugly Christmas sweaters are a holiday classic." She paused, snickering. "This is literally the only season they're _in_ season, so you really should cherish it."

"Oh, is that so? In that case, we should get you one too." He smirked back, pulling out the other clothes she'd gotten. He put on a toque and pants and a thick scarf and mittens to go with his oversized sweater. "Man, these pants feel weird," he remarked, "I'm so used to walking around with bare legs."

Karai blushed, doing a face-palm. "That line could be so horrible out of context I don't even know what to say."

As he realized what she meant, he slowly began flushing red too. "Wh-Whatever! You know I don't mean it that way." He grabbed her hand. "Now come on; we have a sweater to buy!" He paused. "Well, sadly, you'll have to buy. I don't have any money."

She rolled her eyes as she walked. "Figures."

"Hey, I grew up in the sewers my entire life. I don't have access to money," he responded with a smile, trying to keep up.

Despite her play of annoyance, she smiled too. "Fair enough. But you're going to have to pay me back."

Leo paused. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

Karai winked playfully. "Oh, that's for me to know, and you to find out."

He huffed in response, now curious. But before he could question her any further, they got into the store and were suddenly blasted with loud Christmas music. Jingle Bells Rock played over the loudspeakers, and the store was swarming with customers getting presents for their friends and family and coworkers.

Leo and Karai began to wander around. The store was quite crowded thanks to the holiday season, and the clerks were busy. They rushed around in elf hats, helping customers or organizing things. Banners and posters advertising sales on toys or clothes hung all around the store. It was a New York City Christmas, alright—slightly commercial, but heartwarming too.

"This is insane," Karai stared, ducking toward a shelf of cards as someone barrelled past her, pushing a shopping cart filled to the brim with gifts.

Leo nodded his agreement. He'd seen so much of Christmas on the media they had access to that he figured he knew what it'd be like. But no, it was still a wonder for him, standing out in the open like that where so many people were shopping. It felt busy. It felt crazy. It felt intimidating. It felt lovely.

But most of all, it felt like _Christmas_.

She looked up and her golden eyes flashed with mischief. "You'll have to come get me first." She took off immediately. She was agile and fast, easily clearing the obstacles of the store and causing trouble—in true Karai fashion.

Leonardo sighed and rolled his eyes, but he didn't have much of a choice. So he chased after her. "Get back here!" he whisper-shouted, trying not to be noticed. He followed closely behind Karai as they tore through the clothing section, toy section, book section, and food section.

Leo felt embarrassed; he looked more like a 10-year-old kid than a teenager as they raced around the store. It was the exact opposite of what you'd do if you were a ninja.

"You can't catch me!" she taunted constantly as she zipped from here to there and from there to here and back again.

He finally did catch up to her at the place where they were selling all the Christmas decorations. Panting, Leo grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back toward him. "Gosh... Darn it... I am _exhausted_..."

"Should've thought of that before chasing me," she answered, stopping. He shot her a stern look, causing her to pout. "I was just having fun."

"I wasn't." Leo snatched the gift bag back, relieved to see that it wasn't crumpled or damaged or anything.

"You can be such a bore, Leo. Stop being such a stick-in-the-mud. You're not 80 yet; we're still young," Karai complained. She grabbed his wrist, and despite his protesting, she dragged him deeper into the shelves of Christmas decorations. "Let's enjoy the view."

"What view?" Leo spluttered, trying to pull away from her iron grip. "It's just a bunch of decorations. And I happen to be insulted by what you said; I'm trying to be civilized here, and not an '80-year-old grandpa' or whatever."

"Where," she said dramatically, "is your sense of Christmas spirit?"

He frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry. I left it back at home. If you let me, I'll go and get it."

Karai shot him an amused look. "Nice try, Leonardo; but we both know that April is keeping us from going home without any results. So we might as well enjoy ourselves."

Leo swallowed back a retort. She was right; April _was_ preventing him and Karai from going home. She was also right about making the most of our time stuck at the store. And despite his better judgement, he sighed and caved in. "Alright, fine. I'll spend the day with you till we can go."

Karai's signature smirk appeared on his face. "Awesome! I'll show you how to have fun, Leo—you won't regret it. For the most part."

"I doubt it." Still, he couldn't help but smile. Her eagerness was contagious. He hoped she was right and he _wouldn't_ regret it after all.

"Check it out, Leo!" Karai stopped dragging me and grabbed an elf hat, which even had a pair of elf ears. She put it on and smirked, "How do I look?"

"Like Santa's little helper!" he couldn't help but chuckle.

She smirked. "I got you to smile. Not so grumpy now, are you?"

"I can't help it," he replied, "you just looked so silly."

Karai poked him in the forehead, sticking her tongue out. "Watch your smart mouth—I'm pretty tough."

"I can take you," Leo said airily, smirking back.

"I hint a challenge in your tone!" she exclaimed, grabbing a plastic silver sword. She thrust it forward. "En guarde, vile villain!"

Leo stared at her in surprise before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He grabbed the tip of the sword, easily pulling it out of her grip. "Come on, don't be silly."

"Can't we have a little fun?" she huffed, settling down on a shelf that could serve as a seat.

"We're _ninjas_ , Karai. We're not supposed to be drawing so much attention to ourselves!"

Karai leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "Never stopped me." She raised an eyebrow as she met Leonardo's gaze. "I'm not tied down by those duties anymore. The Shredder no longer controls me. I have a lot of freedom. I don't have other ties either, like having bills to pay and whatever. Also I'm not dating—and from what I've heard, _you're_ not dating either."

Leo blushed madly when she mentioned the "not dating" part. He didn't answer.

"Oh come on, Leo. Don't be like that." She frowned.

He still didn't respond.

"Excuse me, fair sir," she began as she stood up with a dramatic flourish only Karai could make look classy, "but I do believe you have insulted my great looks and charm by not answering me."

"If you had any 'looks or charm', I would've noticed by now," he teased after a few moments of hesitation. All because he couldn't resist.

She crossed her arms. "Hey, that hurt." But then a smile quickly tickled her lips. "Hey, at least I made you act less like a grown-up and more like a kid. Come on, Leo; just for tonight—let's forget about the ninja stuff. Stop thinking about sneaking around, and not being caught and stuff... And let's think about having _fun_."

Leonardo paused and thought about what she had said. It was true that the past few months had been hard for him. He had been incredibly stressed—and he guessed that's why he had let April force him to hang out with Karai. He could've just gone and went out with his brothers, but Leo didn't think any of them really cared about his stress. Or at least, they didn't _understand_ his stress. For example, if Leo had wanted to blow off steam, and Raphael was his go-to man for comfort, it wouldn't have been fun despite how casual and teasing Raph could be. They would've just gone beat some gangster up in the alleyway, which Leo realized was the _last_ thing he wanted to do at the moment. He didn't want to do anything ninja-related for the night. He wanted to have _fun_ , but his brothers' style of fun wasn't the kind he was looking for at the moment.

 _Plus,_ he realized with a blush, _Karai's part of the reason why I've been so stressed. So I guess that's also why I wanted to hang out with_ her _and not anyone else._

"So what do you say, Leo? Do you want to rewind the clock a little and pretend we're teens again?" Karai looked at him expectantly. There was a 50/50 chance he would either accept her offer or turn it down.

The thought tumbled around in his brain for a little longer. Then he sighed, "Okay."

She grinned. "Great! Let's have the time of our lives while we still can!"

"Hey, I'm not 80 yet, y'know," Leonardo shot back, grinning as he quoted her from earlier.

"True that," she answered, also grinning. "But just for tonight, we are going to let ourselves loose—and in the most unexpected place ever: the store!" She made a grand gesture with her arms.

Leo laughed, "Well, it sure beats fighting crime in the alleyway." A sparkly green ornament bounced right into my hands. I looked up and saw Karai holding a bundle of ornaments.

"Catch!" she called as she threw them.

"Whoa, slow down!" He dove here and there as he caught the items. He felt annoyed at first, but that quickly dissolved as he started laughing. Leo wasn't even bothered when Karai teased him for missing a couple of the ornaments. He didn't let it show though; he tossed the things back with as much speed as he could muster. "Payback time, madame!"

After that, they ran around and tried out all kinds of things. They pressed every "try me" button and a jumble of mixed noises and Christmas carols rang out throughout the section. There were a few odd looks from the occasional customers, but Leonardo quickly ended up brushing them all off with Karai's help.

They danced to the music and they laughed as they dug around for the ugliest Christmas sweaters they could find. In the end, Leo settled on a red sweater with a white top half for Karai. A green turtle was stitched on wearing a blue Santa hat carrying a blue present. "To remember me by," he claimed as he got her to buy it.

They also tried some free eggnog and dared each other to drink as much as possible. They were almost kicked out before Karai paid for a carton. They played with toys that were out on display, read books, and messed around with displays. They even scared a few customers—even though Karai was a good guy now, she still hadn't lost her sense of mischief. And Leonardo had to admit that it was fun... It was the _most_ fun he'd had in quite awhile. Karai's excitement was getting to him; she was like a little kid and a mischievous teen mixed into one giant package. But she was still a ninja like he was—she just relaxed a lot easier than he did.

After all that fun, they were laughing in the book section over a book about young little Wendy looking for Santa after he gets kidnapped.

"Who even names their kid Wendy anymore?" joked Karai.

Leo grinned back. "Well, who names their kid Karai, am I right?"

Suddenly her laughter faded as an old scar seemed to start stinging again. Her lips fell and she shut the book.

"Oh—Karai, wait—"

"The Shredder did," she whispered.

Leo couldn't find an answer. He could only sit there awkwardly as she put the book back.

"Harmony," she continued in a murmur. "That's what my name could've been. Miwa. If I had stayed Splinter's daughter instead—"

"Karai—Miwa... I'm sorry." Leo swallowed. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just joking. I-I mean, who names their kid Leonardo, right?" He tried to smile but it was half-hearted. And when she didn't return the smile, it fell completely.

"Just forget it, Leo."

He stayed quiet for awhile as awkward silence engulfed them, with her staring at the floor. Then after some hesitation, he began, "Both of them—they're beautiful names. Really. They suit you."

She looked up in surprise.

"They fit you, and—and I think they're pretty. Like you. You're pretty." Leonardo was blushing now, babbling as his mind seemed to lose its train of thought. "Y-You're amazing, you know that?"

As he rambled on, she began to smile. "You don't have to sing me praises to the high heavens, Leonardo."

He clamped his mouth shut. "Sorry."

She giggled. "Well, I didn't exactly say stop, now did I?" She leaned in closer, grabbing the tails of his blue bandana. Soon her nose was inches from his, and his face was growing redder by the second. "I like you too, you know," she blew out teasingly.

Leo took a deep breath in, but before he could say anything, Karai pulled away.

"Murakami's?" She smiled.

"S-Sure," he stammered.

Karai jumped up. "Then let's get going! At the rate we're going, the whole day's gonna pass by just like that."

Leo smiled. _I don't think that's such a bad thing._ Then he followed her away.

* * *

Pushing the door open, they were met with a blast of warm air. Crisp winter winds blew in after them, but the warmth of the restaurant drowned out the cold. The bell above the door jangled in greeting.

"Mr. Murakami?" called Leonardo, stepping inside.

"Ah, welcome, welcome!" The blind restaurant owner appeared, wearing his usual white uniform and sunglasses. He was smiling. The shop was mostly empty, save for a few couples and families and friends eating out late.

"We'd like two plates of pizza gyozas, please," Leo ordered.

"Hey, you didn't ask me what _I_ wanted," said Karai, a teasing smile on her face.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just so used to ordering pizza gyoza. Well, what did you want?" he asked.

She leaned in closer and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Turtle soup," she whispered in an answer. He froze, blushing. Karai pulled away and turned back to Mr. Murakami. "Never mind; two plates of pizza gyoza is fine, thank you." She smiled.

He smiled, nodding, before walking away. He was clearly confused.

As Karai walked toward an empty table, Leo followed at a fast pace, his face still red. "Karai, what was that!?" he demanded.

"What was what?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Y-You know what!"

Karai smirked. "I said I'd like turtle soup for an appetizer," she said playfully. When she saw his face, she began to laugh. "Honestly, Leo—I'm just joking."

"I-I know that! But still!" He sat down with a flop, folding his arms in embarrassment as he looked away.

Karai blinked, before smiling again. "You're cute when you pout."

"Ughhhhhhh," he groaned.

She smiled and looked up as Murakami set down two cups of tea and a teapot for them. "Thank you," she said, picking up the cup to take a sip.

The two waited in silence until their pizza gyozas arrived and Karai picked up her chopsticks to eat.

"So...what do you think?" asked Leonardo.

"They're pretty good. It's not like it's my first time eating them though," she replied cheerfully, chewing.

He smiled. "I know. But this is the first time we're eating them together by ourselves—"

"—On a date?" she finished for him.

He blushed. "Uhh...noooot what I was going to call it, but...uhh, yes?"

Karai laughed. "Well, it's what April called it, so...yeah."

He hid his face behind his hands. "Okay, I get it. Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" She laughed again.

"I don't know." He thumped his head against the table. "I don't know how to talk to you, apparently."

She reached out and stroked his bandana briefly. "Aww, that's cute," she stated.

Leo quickly sat up. "H-Hey!"

"Oops." She drew her hand back and smiled. "Alright, I won't bother you anymore. Enjoy eating your gyoza."

He looked down and began to eat, not meeting her eyes.

Karai watched while she ate for awhile, but then she became bored and said, "Anyway, how do you think this Christmas experience has been going for you?"

"It's been pretty fun." He swallowed the gyoza in his mouth. "How about you?"

She grinned. "Oh, I've been having _loads_ of fun."

"I can tell." Leonardo gave her a look that resembled a stern glare but it didn't last long. His mouth curled upwards into a small smile. "You've been teasing me all day."

"Hey, you can't deny that you've been having fun too," she laughed. "You were just as crazy as me in the store."

"Well, I guess you're just a bad influence," Leo replied.

"Mmm, I guess so." Karai bit down on her sixth gyoza. "Man, these really are tasty."

"You have Mikey to thank for that," chuckled Leo. "He's the creative one."

"I thought he was the quote unquote 'party dude'?"

"What, is that what you're just going to call him now? Is that trademarked like 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' too?" Leo chuckled.

"Hey, Mikey's the one who names mutants things like Bebop and Rocksteady—and he's supposed to be the creative one! What was with that, anyway? What about the two goons screamed _'music'_ to him?" She smirked back, tilting her head to the side.

"We were trying to help you! He needed to distract Rocksteady and Bebop from the retromutagen. He just so happened to see those names on a van, so he slapped them on and they seemed to like it. Well, Rocksteady did, anyway.

Karai's gaze softened. "Oh yeah. When I was a snake mutant trying not to lose my mind."

He quickly clamped his hand onto hers. "Hey, hey—nope. Let's not go into the angsty stuff. I refuse to see you sad like that again. Sorry I had to bring it up."

"It's okay. And sure." She smiled back. "I'd rather not think about that stuff anyway."

He nodded.

They continued eating like that; mostly because Karai didn't pull her hand back and Leo felt too awkward to pull _his_ hand back.

When they finished, Karai left money and tips behind. They thanked Mr. Murakami and walked out of the restaurant. The snow was falling down harder now, and the sky was darkening.

Karai looked up into the sky, shielding her eyes with her hand. "Let's go to the park now. Hang out in the snow or something."

"Sure." Leonardo let her lead the way. He watched her go, smiling to himself. She looks beautiful in this light. Then he blushed and shook his head to clear it, scolding himself for even thinking that.

"You coming, slowpoke?" she called over her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm not a tortoise, you know!" he retorted just as playfully.

Meanwhile, up ahead, glowing red eyes watched from the shadows.

* * *

The park was empty.

Snow piled high on the grass, but the chilly winds and darkening sky had driven away most people. Leo and Karai weren't most people though.

When Leo caught up with Karai, she was standing there with her hands in her pockets and her face raised to the moon. "Karai?" he questioned.

She watched as snowflakes danced through the air all around her, her breaths coming out in visible puffs. "It's beautiful out," she remarked quietly, golden eyes glued to the sky.

"It is, isn't it?" he agreed. He paused. "But not as beautiful as you," he added in a spurt of courage.

Her transfixion disappeared as she turned to stare at him in surprise. Then her lips curled into a smile. "Well, thank you, Leo. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was sweet—cheesy—but sweet." She smirked, now walking over to him. She slapped something cold and densely packed into his face that fell apart on impact, leaving him stunned. "Don't get used to it though—I'm still an ice queen," she laughed.

He wiped the snow from his face. "Hey, no fair! That was mean."

"That was the point," she responded, already rolling another snowball.

Leonardo smiled. "Well, before we do that, why not make some snow angels? To remember the moment by. _Then_ you can kill me with snowballs."

She paused, considering the offer. Then she nodded and she dropped her half-formed ball of snow. "Sounds like a deal."

So Leo flopped onto his back and was joined by Karai, with them waving their arms back and forth in the snow as they laughed and teased one another. When they got up, they admired their snow angels and made a bunch of other ones so that they surrounded the park.

Karai tried to throw another snowball at Leo when they had filled almost the entire park with a snow angel somewhere in the snow, but he appeased to her that they should make a snowman first. She dropped her snowball again and Leo began rolling snow into a giant ball—it wasn't easy. It kept falling apart in his hands. He frowned in frustration. "What's with this stuff?"

"It's snow," Karai laughed.

"I know that!" he exclaimed indignantly. "I've just never really played with it before."

"Oh, now that's just sad." She joined him and wrapped her arms around him, placing her hands over his large turtle ones. "See, you have to roll it like this..."

Leo wasn't really listening. Mostly just because he was finding it hard to listen, considering how close their bodies were. _And she's so warm—_

"Hello? Earth to Leo!"

Snapping out of his trance, he glanced at her. "Y-Yeah?"

"I was just saying how staring off into space and letting me do all the work wouldn't cut it." She put her hands on her hips, but didn't look particularly angry. Just kind of annoyed. "If you keep this up, I really _am_ going to kill you with snowballs."

"Sorry," he said hastily. "What were you saying again?"

Karai sighed and rolled her eyes, but amusement glittered within them as she repositioned herself. She showed him how to roll the snow, before leaving him to it. Leo made the lower part of the body, which was the largest, but when he went to put it down, he soon found out that Karai had something else in mind entirely.

It wasn't another snowball to the face—but it was certainly just as surprising.

She was kneeling in the snow, working on making two small stumps out of the cold substance. "Hey, Leo! Put it over here!" she called.

"What are you making?" he asked, confused. He held up the giant snowball he'd made. "I thought we were making a snowman...?"

"We are, but I want to put my own twist on it." Karai grinned. "Put that pile of snow onto these legs."

He did as he was told.

Karai got to work, scraping out details on the back of the snowball, out of Leo's sight. When he tried to take a look, she would swat him away. Soon he was left to just stand there awkwardly.

When she finished, she stepped aside and exclaimed, "Ta-dah!"

Curiosity won out and Leonardo was instantly by her side. He tilted his head to the side. "What _is_ that?"

"Oh come on," she pouted. "It shouldn't be that hard."

He looked a second longer before realization sunk in. "Is that...a turtle shell?"

Karai nodded. "We're making a snow turtle!"

For a few seconds Leo said nothing. Then he burst out laughing.

Karai stomped her foot. "Hey, _I_ think it's a good idea!"

"I-It _is_ ," he agreed between laughs, "but wow this is just such a—such a random _surprise_! I honestly didn't expect that."

"Well turtles are cute so I don't get why you're so surprised," she shot back. And while her tone was indignant, her mouth and her eyes showed that she was smiling too.

He finished laughing and nodded. "Can't disagree there." He clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's get the other legs done and put the shell down so that it's facing the sky—"

"Who said anything about this being a regular turtle?" she interrupted. "We're making arms, and the shell's staying up like this!"

He blinked. "I mean, I could see that it's _currently_ standing upright, but I didn't think you'd really—"

"I want to make a teenage mutant ninja turtle," she said firmly.

"Well." He blinked some more. "That certainly clears it up."

Karai grinned. "You just get to work on the plastron and arms. Leave the head to me."

The two got to work diligently, and when Leo finished his tasks, Karai was just finishing up hers. "There we go!" she exclaimed. "A turtle head in the likeness of Leonardo."

"Wh-What? Why _me_?" he asked, stepping closer to see the finished product.

Karai smirked. "Because you're the cutest one." That made him quiet. She got to work, putting the head on. Then she put two long branches in his snow hands as the "swords".

"It's missing something," she said when she was done and had taken a step back to admire her work.

"Yeah, like a sign with flashing lights saying _'oh look it's Leo the teenage mutant ninja turtle! He exists! Everyone go hunt him down now!'_ "

"Oh don't be such a downer. No one's going to think that." She paused, continuing to study it. Then she brightened. "Ah, yes! _That's_ what it needs."

"What?" he asked, curious, as she walked toward the snow turtle. He waited as she finished what she was doing and then took a look. His eyes widened.

Karai had tied a small blue scarf around the turtle's face, and was now cutting out eyeholes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you _trying_ to make it look even _more_ like me?" Leo cried. "And where did you even get that scarf!?"

"Admittedly, yes," she said. "Oh, and the scarf I just found close to the sewer awhile back. I washed it, don't worry."

He gaped at her. "Karai, that's not what I meant—!"

"Relax, Leo! This is all in good fun." She tied the scarf with a knot at the back of the head and stepped back to admire her handiwork, before snapping a picture with her phone. "There—it's finished and it's beautiful."

"Someone's going to know that's me," he protested.

"Oh _come on_ , Leo! Stop being such a stick-in-the-mud and get a sense of humour. It's cute; it's harmless—it's not like any of Shredder's goons hang out here at the park—"

"Now that's where you're wrong," a voice rumbled.

Both Leonardo and Karai spun around to see a hulking shadow rise from the mist. When said mist cleared, the looming silhouette was revealed to be none other than Tiger Claw. He stepped forward, his foot smashing into one of the snow angels Leo and Karai had created, which caused Karai to growl. Behind him followed even more of Shredder's henchmen, stomping all over the two teenagers' art.

 _"Tiger Claw,"_ hissed Karai, her eyes flashing.

"Good evening, little snake," he growled back, his voice low and threatening. "We've been tracking you for quite some time." He sniffed the air. "Although, I did expect more of the turtles to be with you." He turned back to the two teenagers, raising an eyebrow. "Is the two of you being alone such a good idea?"

"And what," Bebop added dramatically, "are you _wearing_? Those are the ugliest Christmas sweaters I've ever seen."

"We can handle you," Karai snapped, her voice and stance firm. Leonardo, on the other hand, felt less sure. He watched as they became encircled by Shredder's men.

Robotic Foot Soldiers surrounded them, and Shredder's mutants stood at the front of the line. Tiger Claw was in command, but Rocksteady, Bebop, Rahzar, and Fishface were there too.

Rahzar was laughing his gravelly laugh. "It's time to play~"

Fishface flicked out his switchblade as Bebop began bouncing on his heels. Rocksteady pounded his fists together. All of them waited for Tiger Claw's signal.

The large mutant tiger raised his paw. He stood still for a brief moment. Two. Three. And then he threw his arm down.

Rahzar leaped forward first, eager for battle as he barrelled into Leonardo. The two tumbled around in the snow before they crashed into a tree. Rahzar reared upwards and brought his claw down.

"Leo!" gasped Karai. Before she could help him, however, she found herself face-to-face with Tiger Claw. He'd swung a dagger down and she had just barely managed to block it with her own blade.

The mutant snarled, "Girls don't usually carry around weaponry."

"I'm not a usual girl," Karai retorted, her red lips curled back in anger. Her eyes narrowed and flashed hatred as she swung her arm so that Tiger Claw was forced to move back. "Tell Shredder I'm never going back!"

Before Tiger Claw could reply, Karai was hit with laser-like items that glowed purple. They slammed against her coat, pinning her to a tree. She struggled to rip herself free as Bebop manifested out of thin air, turning off his suit's invisibility powers. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted playfully.

"Get away from me, creep!" Snarling as she struggled, Karai swung her legs upwards and slammed them into Bebop's chest, sending him flying backwards.

He landed in the bushes. "She digs me," he said dizzily, sitting up.

"Comrade Bebop!" Rocksteady turned around and let out a growl. "You will pay for that, little girl!"

"Karai!" Leo cried, diving close to her and swinging his katana blade so that it ripped through the things holding her down.

Karai yanked her hands free and began to rub her wrists. When a Foot Bot got too close, her leg shot out in a perfect sidekick to send it crashing into the snow.

Rocksteady was charging toward her now. Karai looked up and her eyes widened briefly, but she recovered quickly. Grabbing some Foot Bots, she pulled them toward her and used them as a shield. The mutant rhino tore through them, roaring. Karai leaped away, doing a backflip. She brought her legs up into the air and swung them in a circle, catching Bebop by the neck and causing him to fly forward.

"Sterankooooo!" he yelled. "Do somethiiiiiiing!"

"Comrade Bebop!" The rhino was about to leap forward again, but Karai darted out of the way and he sprawled face-first into the snow.

Meanwhile, Leo was still wrestling Rahzar. Rahzar currently had him pinned, and Fishface was coming up with his knife. Leo struggled, trying not to let them slash his neck. When the knife got too close, he ducked his head into his shell, kicked into Rahzar's chest, and rolled away. His head popped back out just in time to see Rahzar stumble and trip backwards over Rocksteady.

Tiger Claw was watching the scene unfold, clearly beginning to lose his patience. When Fishface was sent careening into Bebop thanks to Leo, the mutant tiger stepped forward and let out a loud roar: "ENOUGH!"

Everyone froze.

Panting, Karai looked up from swinging her blade midway into a Foot Bot. Leo stopped tackling Fishface. Every villain dropped what they were doing and looked up in surprise.

"You are all insufficient," Tiger Claw snarled, stalking forward with his eyes narrowed. His threatening, judging glare ripped through each of Shredder's henchmen until they were all awkwardly looking away in some form of shame. Tiger Claw stopped in front of Leo and Karai.

Foot Bots scooped them up despite their protests and struggles, holding them tightly against their will. Karai was still kicking when Tiger Claw addressed her, causing her to stop—only for her to glare up at him with sheer hatred.

"It would seem that you are winning," Tiger Claw growled.

Karai didn't respond, keeping her focus on showing her anger through her eyes.

"And it would also seem that you and this turtle had plans to enjoy yourself a 'merry little Christmas'."

This time there was a response. Karai and Leonardo exchanged concerned, confused, and curious looks. Tiger Claw kept speaking, seemingly unaware of their wariness.

"And because of these factors, as well as the fact that Christmas is fast approaching, I declare a truce."

"What!?" The two teenagers swung their heads toward him in shock, those mouths falling open.

"A truce," he repeated calmly. He turned to his comrades, all of whom were gaping at him. He raised his arm. "I am now ordering a ceasefire."

"B-But Master Shredder—" spluttered Rahzar.

Tiger Claw bent down, leaned forward, and grabbed Rahzar by the throat. "Not a word of this to Master Shredder," he snarled, "or else I rip out your throat and feed you to the real dogs."

Rahzar let out what sounded somewhat like a whimper, nodding half-heartedly.

Tiger Claw let go of him, letting him fall to the ground. He turned back to Leo and Karai. "I may serve the Shredder, but I am not a heartless monster." He nodded at the Foot Bots. "Release them."

As they were dropped by the robotic Foot Soldiers, Karai slumped down into the snow and rubbed her wrists. She glanced at Leonardo, who was also trying to stop the throbbing that came with being gripped too tight. He looked up and met her eyes. His own blue orbs mirrored her shock.

Karai turned to the man who had let them go. "Tiger Claw—"

"Merry Christmas," he rumbled lowly.

Then he turned to go, followed by the others and the rest of the robots (albeit begrudgingly).

"Merry Christmas!" Leo echoed quickly before they were out of earshot.

"And thank you," Karai added in a murmur.

Tiger Claw flicked his ear as a sign that he had heard, and then he disappeared.

For awhile the two teenagers just sat in stunned silence. Then Leonardo said, "Well, that was unexpectedly nice of—"

"I don't get it," she interrupted.

He paused. "Karai...?"

"I just don't _get_ it, Leo! He's supposed to be the bad guy, right? But he let us _go_! I was so ready to—to _hurt_ him. To finish him off if I needed to." She rubbed her eyes, feeling something wet on her cheek. "So why did _he_ let _us_ go? He works for the Shredder! He's not supposed to show compassion."

"Karai—"

"And then there's me. I'm supposed to be good, and yet I can't help but find it so hard to _forgive_." She wiped her eyes, frustrated at her own feelings. "What is _wrong_ with me?"

"Karai!" he shouted.

She froze, looking up, startled.

"Listen to me," he said. "There's _nothing_ wrong with you. You're amazing just the way you were."

She sniffed. "Shut up, Leo." Yet she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"I'm serious," he insisted. "You remember when we first met, right? I just—I thought you had _good_ in you, even though you were on the other side. I believed in you, Karai—even after everything that happened when we learned of your true identity of being Miwa. You always had good in you, whether being mind-controlled or—"

Karai began to laugh. At first it was a harsh scratching sound, but it quickly became genuine—the one that Leo knew as her laugh. Sharp, but clear and joyful. And the one that he liked.

"What's so funny?" he asked, confused.

She wiped her eyes one last time and smiled. "Honestly, Leo. Every. Single. Time. I'm not asking you to praise me to the high heavens. Jeez."

"Oh. Right." He blushed. "Sorry."

Karai giggled. "Although...I kind of like it." She smiled again. "Thanks, Leo. I—I needed that."

His gaze softened and he smiled back. "You're welcome." He reached out and she accepted his hand. He pulled her up. "I think you needed that too," he added playfully.

"Oh shut up," she retorted just as playfully, punching him lightly in the arm.

"Now come on," he offered, "let's go home."

Then the two walked away together, hand-in-hand, as the snow began falling again. Their snowman stood regal and tall despite its simple appearance, its bandana tails flapping in the wind.

* * *

"What's that smell?" Karai asked as they approached the turtles' lair.

"Uhh, which one? We're in the _sewers_ , Karai." Leo smiled. "There's plenty of smells down here."

"Don't get cocky with me, mister." She smiled back, shaking the hand that he was holding in a playful manner. "I mean _that_ smell. The _good_ one."

Leo sniffed the air. "I don't smell any—oh." His eyes widened. "Smells like...food!"

Karai laughed. "Let me guess—April and Mikey have prepared a Christmas feast for our return."

"Probably," he agreed with a chuckle. Then he paused, suddenly realizing something. "Oh no! I'm still wearing the sweater. If Raph or Mikey or Casey see me in this—"

"Oh, relax, Leo—I'm wearing an ugly sweater too."

"But it actually looks _good_ on you!" he protested.

She burst out giggling. "I don't know what your definition of good is, but thank you." She stopped and smiled, leaning forward to brush her lips against his cheek. "Now that's not to say you don't look cute too. You look absolutely _adorable_."

He blushed, causing her to laugh. He finally smiled; Karai's words made him feel less embarrassed about the sweater ordeal.

As they finally reached the lair entrance, they were hit with the scents of turkey, chicken, pie, roast beef, and more.

"Mmm," murmured Leo, stepping inside. "That's smells deli—"

"WELCOME BACK!"

The two froze as they were suddenly greeted with a giant crowd of mutants and people. Splinter, Casey, April, Mikey, Raph, Donnie... But that wasn't all. April's father, Kurtzman, Slash, Leatherhead, Dr. Rockwell, Pete the Pigeon, and more comrades filled the lair.

"Well now _this_ is what I call a warm welcome," Karai said, smiling after recovering from her initial shock.

Leonardo nodded, also just as amazed. "Everyone's here!" he exclaimed.

"Of course everyone's here! We can't have a party without party guests," April said, walking forward. She drew them aside toward their friends and clapped her hands together as the other guests mingled. "So...how'd your winter date goooo?" she asked in a singsong voice. The redheaded kunoichi bounced on her heels in excitement. "I can see you're holding hands~ Good, good..."

Leo and Karai both blushed as they quickly pulled their hands apart. Before either could reply, Raph joined in.

"What's with that get-up, Leo?" he asked, smirking.

"Hey, I for one think he looks really great," Karai shot back.

"Did everything go alright? How was the human world? You two have been out for quite some time," said Donnie.

"I can't answer all your questions at once if you fire them one-after-the-other like that, but I can tell you that we ran into Tiger Claw—" Leo began.

"Did you kick his big fat butt?" Casey smirked, smashing his fists together. He and Raph did a fist bump.

"Guys, stop interrupting me—" Leo tried to continue in frustration, but then Master Splinter appeared.

"I trust that the experience went well?" he asked.

Karai nodded. "It went wonderfully, Father." She turned to smile at Leo. "I had a lot of fun, thanks to him."

"I'm glad to hear that, my daughter." He reached out and stroked her hair. It had taken them awhile, but father and daughter had gotten over the awkwardness of close contact. "I want nothing but the best for my children."

Karai and Splinter hugged. The others watched and waited patiently. As the two pulled apart and Splinter left, Raph leaned in closer to Leo.

"So...any kisses?"

"Sort of." Leonardo lightly rubbed his cheek in embarrassment. "A few on the cheek."

"And now one more! But on the lips!" a voice called above them.

Everyone looked up in time to see mistletoe dangling from the ceiling. Michelangelo was up there, grinning and waving.

"MIKEY!" yelled Leonardo, flushing red. He turned to Karai. "I'm sorry about this. You really don't have to—"

"You talk too much." She smiled and pulled on his bandana tails so that he was forced to lean forward. Then her lips met his.

When they pulled apart, Leo swooned somewhat in a dreamy manner and Karai smiled demurely. "There you go," she stated. "A kiss."

"Th-Thanks," he stammered back.

Everyone laughed. Leo was encircled by the males as they all congratulated him, jostling him and joking and laughing. He just listened and let them joke and jostle him because his mind was now somewhere far, far away...

Meanwhile, April joined Karai. "Now come on, you guys—let's go have our Christmas dinner now!" she called, clapping her hands.

As she led them away, Karai fell into step with Leonardo. "Did you like that?" she asked.

He nodded, too shy and embarrassed to speak.

She laughed. "Me too." Then she pulled him forward again and kissed him once more.

When she pulled apart, he stared at her in shock.

Karai pointed upwards. "Mistletoe," she mouthed with a smile. As she walked away to catch up with the others, Leonardo looked up.

Karai had lied. There was no mistletoe.

 _Did she kiss me again because she wanted to?_

He glanced at her and when she met his eye, she simply winked. Leo blinked before smiling and hurried to catch up with her. A warm, fuzzy feeling had settled in his chest.

As he caught up, she turned to him and said, "Merry Christmas, Leo." She smiled.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Karai." He smiled back.

 _My first real Christmas is going to be one of my best real Christmases._

* * *

 _I hope you like it, **faithfulwhispers**! _

_Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :D_

 _Please leave a review~_


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